Daily Rest in Jesus

Do you have thoughts like this: “So much rests on my shoulders.” “My family is depending on me, I have to get this done.” “I never have enough time.” “I could do more.”
 
These thoughts have plagued my exhausted brain for years. There is always so much that I must accomplish and I feel like I am constantly falling short. I don’t give the girls enough attention. The house doesn’t ever feel clean enough. I wish I could study more, read more, learn more. I wish I could give Jovani more devoted time, too, but I am so tired.
 
In our last Monday post, Confessions of a Workaholic Who is Still at Home, I admitted that I was addicted to adrenaline. While I could have claimed that I was overburdened or overworked, the real truth was that I clung to the worry, anxiety, and rush that came with constantly being busy, constantly needing to do more, and constantly maintaining productivity. I cut God’s provisions out of the equation and bullied through life on my own strength. I didn’t sleep enough, care for myself, or trust my connection with God to direct my life.
 
If you took the Adrenaline Addiction Test at Soulshepparding.org and came up positive for this addiction too, then you might need to pull back and re-examine your life.
 
I found out about adrenaline addiction four months ago and since then have put in place new practices that have helped me rest in God. We still have to be productive. We still have to care for our families. But we can shift the burden of always needing to know what to do and who to help onto God’s shoulders. We can focus on connecting with Him and trusting Him.
 
We are not always supposed to be “doing”.  Sometimes, we are supposed to rest with no other motivation except to connect with God, be replenished, and refresh our bodies. Crazy notion, right? And sometimes (this is even crazier) sometimes we have to stop and rest even when there are still things to do on our list. In years past, when I have felt frazzled and frustrated, I have self-soothed by getting busy, and getting things done. But, like any other addiction, I am not solving the problems behind why I feel upset.
 
This week, I want you to consider picking 1 to 3 things from this list and putting them into practice.
 

• Take a day off. It could be Sunday or another day that works. Have food already prepared so you don’t have to cook. Do only the work that NEEDS to be done. Even if the house starts to look chaotic, shift your focus to rest and worship. Enjoy your family.
• Use the first thirty minutes of your day for quiet prayer, Bible study, and meditation.
• Go to bed early enough to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night of the week.
• Take a nap or have “quiet time” in which you do something that doesn’t involve electronics for at least an hour. Try to do this three times this week.
• Stop your day an hour before bedtime. That means STOP. Lounge around, enjoy your spouse or a chat with a friend. Enjoy who you are even when you aren’t getting something done.
• Do a five-minute journal entry morning, noon, and night where you evaluate your emotional status and connect with God.
• Whenever you feel anxious about what is going on or frustrated with how a task is going, practice saying out loud, “God has this. Not me. And God is good.” 
• Practice thanking God while you work, shifting the focus from your own striving to the blessings of your Abba Father.

 
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to live out all my days feeling like it all rests on my shoulders. I want to find some rest. True rest.
 

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Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
​Matthew 11:28, NLT 

​What are some others ways to shift the focus of your day from your own busy-ness to the goodness of God?